Safely clean rhinestone jewelry

I got an old rhinestone necklace at the thrift store yesterday. It’s looking a little dull, and I was wondering how I can clean it. The lady said not to use toothpaste, as it is gritty. That would have been my first choice. If not that, then what can I use? — Tracy, Canada

Dear Tracy:

I’d use a Q-tip and alcohol, dishwashing liquid and water and a soft toothbrush or soft cloth, or window cleaner and a soft cloth. Don’t immerse the necklace in any of these solutions. Apply any of the above solutions to the cloth, Q-tip or toothbrush, so it’s damp and not soaking wet, and then clean the necklace. Either hang the necklace upside down to make sure it dries quickly or use a hairdryer to dry it.

Dear Sara:

I am moving and working on the new kitchen. I was thinking about using newspaper as shelf paper and wanted to see what you think? Do you think the newsprint will rub off on the shelf? — Joseph, North Carolina

Dear Joseph:

I wouldn’t use it. It’s not absorbent enough, is unsightly (and will look even worse over time), isn’t clean and can rub off. Try giving your shelves a good cleaning, then line with actual shelf liner (vinyl cloth or contact paper), cloth napkins, oilcloth, wallpaper or non-adhesive grip mesh liner. I suppose you could use wax paper, too. Many people rave about cork liner. I’ve never used it and am uncertain how well it would hold up.

Dear Sara:

I’ve heard baby oil does the same job (if not better) of removing waterproof eye make-up than the brand name products. How do you remove it and what do you use? –Libby, Canada

Dear Libby:

Most of the time, I use a wet, soft wash cloth and soap and water, or a baby wipe. I gently wipe it off. It doesn’t require any scrubbing at all. I don’t use baby oil or Vaseline. These simply aren’t products I want near my eyes. I haven’t tried much else because this works perfectly fine for me. I moisturize my face afterward.

Dear Sara:

One of the local stores is running a special this week on cereal. The deal is really good, but my boyfriend said it would do no good to buy it because you can’t freeze it and we won’t eat it fast enough. Can I freeze cereal without it being mushy when it thaws? — B.R., Maine

Dear B.R.:

Cereal has a long shelf life. Check the date on the box. It typically has a best-used-by date that’s about nine to 12 months from the purchase date. You have plenty of time to store it and eat it. You can freeze cereal, but the amount of space it takes up might be a problem. You need to know how much cereal you normally consume and whether or not you have space to store it. Then you can decide how many boxes are worth buying. Keep in mind that cereal goes on sale often and there are coupons for it regularly, too.